Monthly Archives: March, 2015

Home designs change as people’s needs evolve. Thanks to adaptable design principles, future modifications to living spaces can be executed as minimally invasive as possible. What serves as the bedroom today, for example, might become the dining area tomorrow.

If you are having your first home built by a leading builder in Perth, it would do you well to know a thing or two about adaptable design. In essence, an adaptable house is designed to accommodate the changing needs of its occupants, making potential renovations easier and more affordable in the future.

The concept of adaptable housing is also outlined in AS 4299-1995, which dictates that homes be age friendly. Spaces must be integrated and allow a smooth, quick change should the need arise. The dining and living rooms, for example, can be integrated into a single space.

Ultimately, adaptable housing boils down to practicality. Think about it: Why buy separate furniture and appliances for the dining and living rooms when you can fuse these spaces with a bit of rearranging? Adaptable housing also enables you to make changes as and when unforeseen circumstances occur. Discuss your current and potential needs with your builder, and learn how you can have a versatile home.

So you’re thinking about building a new home? Congratulations! This must certainly be a very exciting time for you. If you already have a design in mind and you’re ready to go, it’s time to apply for some building permits and think about involving a home builder and building surveyor in your plans.

What is a building permit?

A building permit is a licence that must be obtained from a registered building surveyor to secure permission to proceed with the construction of a building project. Building permits are generally required for new buildings, renovations, demolitions, and alterations, among other things.

What are building permits for?

Building permits ensure that the construction project conforms to council or safety regulations. The enforcement of these standards is carried out to uphold public welfare, safety, and health whatever the type of building project may be.

How much do building permits cost?

Building permit costs depend on the type of project. Considerations that affect building permit cost include size, scale, and complexity of the planned construction. Price may also vary between different councils and surveyors.

Sometimes, planning permits are necessary before you can be issued a building permit. Your builder will know if you need to obtain a planning permit along with your building permit, or if you can go ahead with securing a building permit directly.

Investing in property is such an attractive concept. The prospect of showcasing or renting out one’s own home is something many people look forward to. If you’re looking to buy your first home, you may want to think of it as an investment rather than merely a place of residence. Whilst most folks would rather wait until after their first or second homes to do so, with a proper plan in place, you can actually start much sooner than you think.

The benefits of investing

A notable benefit of the ”investment first” benefit is that it can put you in a position to buy a better first home than what you could originally afford. Once your investment property generates rental income, you’ll have better finances to service the loan. Add to that, you can claim most of the costs as tax deductions. If the property increases in value in the future, you can use that as equity to buy a better home the next time around.

Is investing right for you?

More and more first home buyers are investing in Australia’s property market. The strategy isn’t for everyone, though, so you need to evaluate your finances and personal situation carefully.

The First Home Owners Grant (FHOG), which provides a $10,000 grant for owners of brand new homes in Perth, seems to embody Australia’s housing policy as a whole. Given that the first-time homeowner of an existing property only gets $3,000 with the FHOG, it seems like the government is encouraging new builds over existing ones.

If you look closely at the underlying analogy, though, it’s not entirely surprising why. Granted, home sales of any kind trigger purchases of appliances, furnishings, and insurance. On the other hand, a new home construction project also fuels demand for building materials and builders’ services, thereby further contributing to the economy. You mostly can’t say the same when you purchase an established home.

Demand for new homes is also a tell-tale sign of increased consumer confidence and the will to invest in an invigorated market. Experts liken this trend to the “ripple effect.” Like a pebble dropped into a pool of water, a new home being built influences multiple economic indicators.

New home subsidies like the FHOG exist to curb the hefty expenses associated with new properties and promote new home construction. With such a subsidy available, investing in home and land packages in Perth is often the best option for prospective first-time home buyers.

Coolbellup house and land packages lasted the least on Perth metro area listings at only 18 days, according to the latest real estate data based on a 12-month time frame. Located 20 minutes southwest of Perth, this quaint Cockburn suburb has garnered a lot of attention from homebuyers who are taking advantage of its affordability and local activity.

Under-30s are the latest majority segment in the West Australian housing market, statistics show.

Mortgage Choice reports that nearly half of today’s homebuyers in the state are aged 30 and below, jumping by 60 percent since 2008. Experts say this trend points to a desire to diversify their investment portfolios early on, especially with interest rates playing just below five percent for both fixed and variable.